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Ji, Zhiqiang

Publications and source records attributed to Ji, Zhiqiang.

Raman spectroscopy of bottom-up synthesized graphene quantum dots: size and structure dependence

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have attracted significant interest as synthetically tunable optoelectronic and photonic materials that can also serve as model systems for understanding size-dependent behaviors of related graphene structures such as nanoribbons. Here, we present a Raman spectroscopy study of bottom-up synthesized GQDs with lateral dimensions between 0.97 to 1.62 nm, well-defined (armchair) edge type, and fully benzenoid structures. For a better understanding of observed size-dependent trends, the study is extended to larger graphene structures including nano-graphene platelets (>25 nm) and large-area graphene.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electrochromic Graphene Molecules

Polyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, also called Graphene Molecules (GMs), with chemical composition C 132 H 36 (COOH) 2 were synthesized in-situ on the surface of transparent nanocrystaline indium tin oxide (nc-ITO) electrodes. Their electronic structure was studied electrochemically and spectro-electrochemically. Variations in the potential applied onto the nc-ITO/GM electrodes induce only small changes in the observed current but they produce dramatic changes in the absorption of the GMs, which are associated with their oxidation and reduction. Analysis of the absorption changes using modified Nernst equation is used to determine standard potentials associated with the individual charge transfer processes. For the GMs prepared here these were found to be E 1,ox 0 = 0.77± 0.01 V and E 2,ox 0 = 1.24 ± 0.02 V vs. NHE for the first and second oxidation and E 1,red 0 = -1.50 ± 0.04 V for the first reduction. The charge transfer processes are found to be non-ideal. The non-ideality factors associated with the oxidation and reduction processes suggest presence of strong interactions between the GM redox centers. Under the conditions of potential cycling GMs show rapid (seconds) color change with high contrast and stability. An electrochromic application is demonstrated wherein the GMs are used as the optically active component.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗